Khao Chiang

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Khao Chiang (เข่าเฉียง), literally the oblique or diagonal knee, is a Muay Thai knee strike thrown across the body. The hip engages similarly to a roundhouse kick, the knee drives diagonally inward and upward, and the whole motion is accompanied by rotation of the hips and shoulders. The target is the midsection, ribs and latissimus dorsi. According to one source, the strike has a reach similar to the straight knee. It belongs to the traditional list of six named knee strikes (khao), alongside Khao Tat, Khao Trong, Khao Khong, Khao Yao and Khao Loi. It differs from Khao Trong, a straight forward strike with minimal hip rotation, by its diagonal path with pronounced rotation; from Khao Tat, whose path runs parallel to the ground, precisely by its oblique path. It is used to attack from an unusual angle, such as a stepping lunge from mid-range against an aggressive opponent, and also in the clinch. One source emphasizes that it allows the strike to be driven through gaps in the opponent's guard. Transliterations of the name vary: alongside Khao Chiang, the form Kao Chieng also appears, with the English gloss "upward angle knee", meaning knee angled upward, which diverges somewhat from the usual "diagonal".